A request for a “quote to haul a container from Cat Lai to Dong Nai” usually gets a quick number back — and an invoice that looks quite different from it. The reason is that a quote is only accurate when the haulier knows all the conditions of the trip. This article lists the information to send with your very first enquiry, what the warehouse must report in advance, and how early to book the truck.
1 Ten Pieces of Information That Determine the Quote
| Information | Why it is needed |
|---|---|
| Exact pickup and delivery points | Within the same province, two industrial parks can be tens of kilometres apart and on different bridge and road routes |
| Import or export | Determines the direction of the haul: pick up laden at the port and return the empty, or pick up an empty and deliver laden to the port |
| Container type and quantity | 20', 40', 40HC, 45HC, reefer, open top, flat rack — each has its own rate, and some need specialised trucks |
| Cargo weight (gross) | Determines whether the truck combination's weight limit is exceeded and whether a multi-axle truck is needed |
| Cargo type | Dangerous goods, high-value cargo and chilled cargo have specific requirements for the truck, driver and insurance |
| Port, shipping line, vessel date | To send the truck to the right port at the right time — when the container is discharged or before the gate cut-off |
| Empty pickup or return depot | The depot nominated by the shipping line may be far off the main route, changing the distance |
| Warehouse working hours | Whether the warehouse receives only during office hours or also at night — this affects truck ban hours and surcharges |
| Expected loading/unloading time | To agree a suitable number of free waiting hours from the outset |
| Invoicing and payment requirements | Which entity the invoice is issued to, and whether payment is per trip or per period |
Send all ten lines and the haulier can quote a figure that already includes most charges. Any line left out will show up as a surcharge at settlement — the most common being waiting and storage charges, explained in truck waiting, truck holding and storage charges.
2 Delivering a 40-Foot Container to the Warehouse: What the Warehouse Must Report in Advance
Many trips are turned away or incur charges because the truck only finds out on arrival that it cannot get into the warehouse. Before booking a 40-foot truck, tell the haulier about:
- Access road — width, narrow lanes, weak bridges, weight or height restriction signs. A 40-foot container rig is about 16–17 m long.
- Turning space and loading position — whether the truck must reverse into a dock or park in the yard, and whether there is room to turn.
- Yard surface — able to bear a laden container and not sink in the rain.
- Handling equipment — whether there is a dock leveller, whether forklifts can enter the container or cargo must be hand-unloaded.
- Industrial park rules — hours when container trucks are allowed in, vehicle registration procedures, gate security.
If the warehouse cannot accommodate it, there are two options: use 20-foot containers instead, or unload at a yard and move the last leg by smaller trucks.
3 How Far Ahead to Book the Truck
- Imports — notify as soon as you have the arrival notice and the expected vessel date, and reconfirm the pickup time when the declaration is about to clear. A truck planned in advance is always cheaper than one dispatched urgently.
- Exports — book once you have the booking, at least 1–2 days before the stuffing date, because the truck still has to collect the empty from the depot.
- Peak season and before Tet — book much earlier; this is when trucks are scarcest.
- Weekly regular shipments — fix a standing schedule so the haulier can arrange backhauls and lower the rate.
Once confirmed, the process of an import trip from delivery order to empty return is described in the process of hauling a container from the port to the warehouse.
4 A Quote Request Template That Covers Everything in One Go
Example: Import, 2 × 40'HC, crated machinery, gross 18 tonnes/container, shipping line X, vessel berthing at Cat Lai on 05/11. Deliver to Nhon Trach 3 Industrial Park, warehouse receiving 7:00–17:00, dock leveller available, about 3 hours unloading per container. Empty return as per the delivery order. Invoice to company Y, payment at month end.
For a request like the one above, CARIMEX sends an all-in quote within the working day, clearly stating which items are included and which are charged separately — see how to read a quote in how container trucking rates are calculated.
Send your request using the template above via the Nhon Trach container trucking page or call +84 933 968 988.
